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Floyd Mayweather Jr. has fun with Marcos Maidana announcement

Fighters Network
08
Mar

Floyd Mayweather and Robert Garcia, the trainer of Mayweather's next opponent, Marcos Maidana, had fun at the Las Vegas press conference for the May 3 event.

Floyd Mayweather and Robert Garcia, the trainer of Mayweather’s next opponent, Marcos Maidana, had fun at the Las Vegas press conference for the May 3 event.

 

LAS VEGAS — Mayweather, late as usual, had fun directing Showtime's All Access film crew and exchanging quips with Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer while behind the podium. At first, however, he seemed surprised by the large turnout of media and boxing insiders who packed the converted ballroom.

"I didn't know this press conference was going to be this big," Mayweather told Schaefer. "You told me I'd just be doing roundtable interviews. That's why I didn't dress up.



"Oh well, I know we ain't dressed the best, but we gettin' paid."

Maidana wasn't present but he wasn't missed. Mayweather is the main player of this particular show. He knows it and so does everyone else.

To prove it, Mayweather asked Schaefer if the May 3 event was sold out yet.

"Almost sold out," Schaefer replied, adding that 14,000-plus tickets have been sold to Mayweather-Maidana, which takes place at the 16,000-plus seat Grand Garden Arena. More than $12 million has been collected at the gate already.

"It's another big one on May 3, what else can I say?" said Mayweather, who added that his opponent, a 12-to-1 underdog on some sports books, is not the joke odds makers have made him.

"(Maidana is) a guy I know I can't overlook," he said. "You can't take any fighter for granted because you never know what can happen."

Mayweather was asked how he'll prepare himself for the rough-and-tumble style of Maidana, who earned the May 3 fight by scoring an upset unanimous decision over Adrien Broner in December. Broner, an undefeated three-division beltholder, was being touted by some as Mayweather's "Heir Apparent."

"This guy's relentelss," Mayweather said of Maidana, who has won four in a row since being outclassed by Devon Alexander in early 2012. "(That's why) I chose him over (Amir) Khan. Look at his last four fights and look at Khan's last our fights. He's made a big impact on the sport of boxing with his last fight. I prepare for guys like him by preparing for everything. I don't believe in taking punishment. It's all about being smart and listening (in training camp)."

Mayweather was asked how the Maidana fight will be different from his last bout, a majority decision over Canelo Alvarez that most observers thought he won easily.

"Styles make fights," Mayweather said. "Canelo is different. Some guys make you fight. They cut the ring off. (Miguel) Cotto did that, so it was blood, sweat and tears with him."

In other words, Maidana won't be silly and try to box Mayweather the way Alvarez did.

Still, Mayweather had kind words for the 23-year-old Mexican star, who fights Alfredo Angulo in a Showtime PPV headliner later tonight.

"Tonight is a tremendous matchup," he said. "Canelo (is) one hell of a fighter. Angulo (is) non-stop action. I was at home flippin through the TV one night (and saw boxing). Let me check this out. There was the Cuban fighter, (Erislandy) Lara, good fighter, he can fight. He's going to be fighting my guy (Ishe Smith) the night before I fight Maidana. That night he was in with Angulo, and I'm being honest, Lara got the job done but Angulo was on his ass.

"But Canelo is a different breed. He's a smart fighter, he's strong, he can box and he can punch with any hand. People think he's not good because of how he looked with me."

Those same people don't give Maidana a chance against Mayweather. The few who do give Maidana a shot do so because of the work Robert Garcia has done improving the Argentine slugger.

Mayweather invited Garcia, a former world titleholder, to say a few words to the media.

"In 1998, we both won our world titles in the same weight class (130 pounds), I guess I'm lucky I never fought him," Garcia said. "Sixteen years later, I'm training my fighter to fight him and he's still champion of the world. It's something."

What would be something is if Maidana actually gave Mayweather a fight. Garcia won't count his own fighter out.

"What 'Chino' did to Broner was something nobody believed we could make happen. We're going to do our best to give everybody a great fight because it will be a great ight but we're not coming to just to put on a show, we're coming to win."

Mayweather interrupted Garcia's speech with this quip: "Well, Oscar De La Hoya always has the blueprint."

Garcia, who was once managed by De La Hoya, replied: "You know I ain't going to Oscar."

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